KEMI Badenoch has pledged to tear up restrictive climate change laws — after Ed Miliband said yesterday that he would ban fracking as quickly as he could.
The Tory leader says her party will prioritise cheap energy and economic growth and push back the constraints of the UK’s 2050 Net Zero plan.
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She hopes the move will halt the deindustrialisation of Britain, free companies from harmful regulations and stop making Brits poorer.
If she won power, Badenoch says she would tear up the Climate Change Act passed by current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in 2008.
Her proposals reduce the constant threat of eco-lawfare and judicial reviews that have cost taxpayers millions of pounds, the party says.
Ahead of the party conference in Manchester starting on Sunday, she said: “We want to leave a cleaner environment for our children, but not by bankrupting the country. Climate change is real.
“But Labour’s laws tied us in red tape, loaded us with costs, and did nothing to cut global emissions.
“Previous Conservative Governments tried to make Labour’s climate laws work — they don’t.
“Our priority is growth, cheaper energy, and protecting the natural landscapes that we all love.”
The Tories point to the “Boiler Tax” that will increase the price of gas boilers, forcing people to get heat pumps just to meet a target.
Ms Badenoch also revealed in an interview with The Spectator: “We have to hit a certain number of heat pumps to meet the target, but at the rate we’re going, it’ll take us about 300 years.”
Mr Miliband announced the fast-track frack ban at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool where he told activists to “send this bunch of frackers packing”.
He painted “Farage and his cronies” as “ideological extremists”.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice said: “Reform UK will immediately reverse this when we win power.
“Local gas creates jobs and cheap energy for lower bills.”
£1B to turn turbines off
By Ryan Sabey
A BILLION pounds has been wasted turning off wind power this year — derailing Ed Miliband’s pledge to cut bills by £300.
Ironically, the huge sums are spent when there is too much wind.
Turbines have to be switched off because the National Grid cannot cope.
Wind firms get paid for what they would have produced — and electricity has to be bought from other sources.
Household bills have risen by £15 a year as a result, the Wasted Wind website says.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho hit out as the gas and electricity price cap rose from £1,720 to £1,755 yesterday.
She said: Britain cannot afford Ed Miliband.”
